Door



Sept. 2, 1952 E, T, BALL 2,608,727

DOOR

Filed Nov. 14, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 .5 b W 11 J1", K l- 1L I $07? f N\o INVENTOR E. 7. BALL AT TQRNE Y Sept. 2, 1952 E. T. BALL DOOR 3Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 14. .1947

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lNl/ENTOR E. 7? BAL L 9 I ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 2, 195 2- spoon} 1 7 iA J V f'ijiclaiins.

Thisiinvention relates-to: a-fdoorianihingeiconstruction and morepartioularly to a door wand hingeconstruction for enclosing -the frontof a .switchboard frame.

.In apparatus having mechanically .moving parts, and particularly inelectricaleapparatus in which electrical circuits must the .oompleted"by the closing jofmating contaots, dusti is one-oi the ,basiocauses ofpoor:operationoriailure. [Much time and -money have been expendediniresearch toward the developement of electrical zicontaotmaking meanswhich would the :iaiT-ected :to "the minimum rby dust particleslodgingazon the-icon- :tacts, and towards. the 5 development For eagreat -variety of individualiorsgroupz'apparatus covers. :However, the:relative freedom "from ffaiITIIG idUB .to :dust iby :the utilization:of :individual iorigroup .covers 1has usua1lyibeeni attainedi-atithe':expen'se :ofvisibilityofithefoperationofiapparatus mountedwithin ithe covers, ian'd "has increased the tim'e required :iorinspection iandrma'intenance :of the equipmentidue to .the necessity ofremovalof sueh covers.

:since much equipment in industrial use and particularly equipment:assoiateid with' telephone -=switchingrsystems most conveniently mounted'intframes a switchboardframe hasbeen designedwhichiisientirelyenc'losed 'and'ithus obviatesthe "needffor individualc'ov'ers' fo'r the' items' onequi ment rcon'tained 'ther'ein f whileproviding -'a rela- '-tiv'ely dustproo'f installation. --"Su ':h'-='aframe is dislosed l in Patent 2 57731 01, granted December --l 9'5l' toBall, Ferguson an'diJbE. Greene, ymerea'sthis application is directed at"af -novel -and improved means for enolo'sing'th'e -'front or: saidswitohboard frame.

{An object of this invention, therefore, fis to provide a means to closethe front ofa compartme1it-whi-le maintainingrea'dy'accessibility to'theapparatus mounte'd' therein. Anotherobject of this invention is T tojenlose the frontiofa compartment withja substantially dustproofcover. 7Another Object is ito provide a "fronthover which does not protrude"beyond the .face :of a

frame in 'either tthe opened or :losejd positions thereby iobviating thedanger :of "damage either ito th'ecoverortoipassers=by. "A furtherobject "of the invention "is :to'irooinpletely-encmse thefrontof"a'"compartmentfwithout appreciably obstructing "the view ofthe/apparatus contained therein. l I

-"In accomplishing these objects, ithej inventor has 1 devised --acovercomprising fa plurality's of (01. gas- 16) fedges 1"so' as to'jfietlvelyiinteilok T the adjacent 'pa'nls jorijto look :agpanl ;to Janadjacent Jiframe member; and [thus provide; a Idust tig'htijoint. I Inorder that theiindividual covers may? beopened toflproi' ide access Itothe apparatus contained 'Within'theIfr-amaa novelhingin means has beendeiiisedby means .of whih the I hinged edge of each :panel may be; movedoutwardly and; down weirdly-therebyreleasingthe panel'fromits inter-.lookedeengagement with? its .adjacent panels *and permitting the panel:to be ;-.rotated :about its (hinged. edge to .-a positionlin -which -it.does not -internere with ea cees's "to 15116 -=apparatus .in -theframe. Further, provision-has :been "made .:for

floompletely and-easilymemoving lthe'individual :throughiL-liofEig Z;

paneIsmounteZIadSaeent oneianotherinz'ajnerti- 1 5 v inigzzaais; an end'view yofi'aifnameiupright with f'zpanels shownlinitheiolose'd'iposition;Fig. 56: is 1 an end viewzo'f 'it'l-reisectioni'about one :hingeishowin'g' thefinitial :step in ppening: one of therpaneis;

I Fi'g.'*7 is an :i'end v'i'ewof the section about: one hinge showingone panel in a fully*opened posi-- Ftion'; F-i'gqffi is an end y-lewof'the I section about *one hinge showing the positioning :or the panel forremovalfrom theframe;

Fig. 9fisanenl-arged VieW of --'hinge aperture in the upright atthe leftof the frame as the Viewer looks at the front of the" frame;

FigLIO is an enlarged view'of'a hinge aperture in theother upright and"Figs. "11, 1 2 and 1 3 show the top, 'elevational, andsi'de-viewsyrespectively, ofa modification of the inventioninwhich1an'opaquemetallic'mate- '-ri'al=isusedfor thepane1.

- f-Rferring now "to Figs. 1, .2, 3 and 4 "showing one of a=series oftransparentpanels foranequipmentbayithe panel-:or-door I tofPlexiglas,Lucite onsimilar' transparent material'is of? rectangularform'andiisfrabbetedalongiitsupperi and lower fif'edgesft'o iinterlookjiwith 'ith'efadjacent ."edges for the panels immediatelyfabovdandbelow. Eaeh of the hinge plates 4 mounted at the lower cornersof the door I comprises a front plate having a forwardly extendingsemicircular flange I similar means are hinge pins I2 which extendoutwardly to engage apertures I3 in the upright members I6 of the frameas will be hereinafter disclosed. One of these pins has .a flanged headI4 and a shoulder I5 to prevent the panel being enlarged opening I9 hasbeen provided of sufiicient diameter to allow the flanged head I4 of thehinge pin I2 to pass therethrough. 'Io remove any panel I from theframe, the cover I is opened as above described and then moved so thatthe hinge pins I2 are aligned with the enlarged sections I9 of theapertures I3. The

panel I may then be slid laterally by permitting the shoulder I5 on onehinge pin I2 to be passed through the enlarged aperture section I9. Suchlateral movement will cause the other hinge pin I2 to be withdrawn fromits aperture I3 and permit the panel to be removed by the subsequentwithdrawing of the flanged head IA of the first.-

inadvertently removed from the frame during opening or closingoperations.

In Fig. 5 a complete cover or panel I and portions of adjacent panels Iare shown in the closed position. The interlocking ra'bbeted joints 2and 3 have been illustrated with a gap between adjacent panels forpurposes of clarity, but it is to be understood that the structure isdesigned so that there is a tight, dustproof fit'between adjacentpanels. In this closed position, the hinge pins I2 rest in the notchesI'I of-the upper horizontally extended portions I8 of the F-shapedapertures I3 in the upright members I6 of the equipment bay frame. It isevident in the view of Fig. 5 that the individual panels may be hingedabout any pair of perforations, slotsvor apertures I3 in theuprightmembers I6 to provide flexibility in thelocation of the individualDane1s or doors I' in respect to the location of the apparatus mountedwithin the equipment bay.

The procedure to be followed in opening an individual panel I isdemonstrated in Figs. 6 and 7. The panel is grasped adjacent the lower,hinged edge by inserting a finger in each of the holes 6 (Fig. 2) andpulling the lower edge of the door outwardly until the hinge pins I2 areat the intersection of the upper horizontal arms I8 and the verticalarms of the substantially F-shaped apertures I3, or into the position asshown in Fig. 6. The panel I is then allowed to drop downwardly untilthe hinge pins I2 are at the bottom of the vertical arms of the F-shapedapertures. This operation will lowerthe panel suiiiciently to free theupper edge of the panel i from its interlocking engagement with thelower edge of the panel immediately above it, and therefore the panelmay be rotated about the axis of its hinged edge to a substantiallyvertical position as in Fig. '7, thereby opening a section of theswitchboard for access to the apparatus mounted therein. The operationof closing the cover is the reverse of thepabove recited method andcomprises the swinging of the panel I about its hinged edge, lifting thepanel substantially vertically until the upper rabbeted edge is engagedwith the lower rabbeted edge of the panel above it, and then pressingthe base of the p nel inwardly to the closed position.

It is apparent from the above description of the process of opening andclosing the panel that r-shaped apertures I3 would sufilce for theseoperations.- However, to provide means for entirely removing the panel Ifrom the equipment bay, the apertures I3 areprovided with lowerhorizontally extending armsterminating in enlarged portions I9. Aspreviously indicated. one of the hinge pins I2. is provided with ashoulder I5 and a flanged head I4 to prevent undue lateral movement ofthe panel I within the frame. To'permitthe removal. ofthe cover,therefore; an

mentioned hinge pin I2 through the enlarged aperture section I9. Figs. 9and 10 are enlarged views of hinge apertures or slots I3 in the left andright uprights I6, respectively, as viewed from a position facing thefront of the frame. In Fig. 9 the position of the hinge pin i2 is shownwith the panel I closed, the panel I opened, and with the panel Iproperly located for removal from the frame. It is believed to beapparent from the above description that the same results could beobtained frornthe use of a single hinge plate 6 located along the baseof the plate I with a single hinge pin I2 of suitable length. It isfurther'believed to be apparent that essentially the same results couldbe obtained if the hinge or hinges were mounted on the'upper edges ofthe panels I and the aperture suitably shaped so that the panel could beopened by swinging it upwardly;-

Inasmuch as in some utilizations of the panels herein disclosed anunobstructed view of theapparatus contained in the equipment bay is notessential, a modified form of'the panel has been presented in Figs ll,12 and 13 in which an opaque metallic material is employed for the panelI. The panel I is formed of a metal sheet having sections along eachside bent backwardly at right angles to the face of the panel asindicated by the numeral 20. At the top edge of the panel I the metal isbent rearwardly as at 2I and'thence flanged upwardly as at 22. At eachend of the flange 22 portions are removed to permit an interlockingengagement with the lower edge of the next panelabove. At the lower edgeof each panel ;I-, the material is bent rearwardly to form a flange23,-and a section is removed therefrom of'similar shape and size to thecrosssection of the flange 22- to provide a recess into which the flange22 of the next panel below may fit. Flange 23 may be seen in the sectionat the center of Fig. 11-. -Theconstruction of the hinge member issimilar-to that previously described in connection, with the transparentpanel and the elements thereof are similarly numbered. The front hingeplate'5, the metal panel I and a cupshaped member 24 having a flange25,-are riveted or otherwise fastened-together. Apertures 6 inhinge'fplate' 5, and panel I provide means for grasping the panel by theinsertion of the fingers throughsaid apertures and into'the cups :24.

As many" possible embodiments may be ,made of the above invention .andas many changes might be'made in the-embodiments above set forth, it isto be understood that all matter hereinbefore set forth or shownin theaccompanying drawings is.to beihterpreted as illustrative and not in alimiting sense- What is claimed is:

1. In combination with-a support frame havinga plurality of aperturesthBIGlIL'B. cover for said frame, comprising a plurality of doorshavmawe .seawee b'm .edi td e ing a plurality of apertures therein, acover for said frame comprising a plurality of doors having their edgesrabbeted so that adjacent doors are interlocking, and means forpivotally mounting each of said doors so that each door may beindividually opened comprising a hinge connected to each of said doorsand engageable in two of said apertures, said hinge means being movablelaterally in said apertures being movable horizontally and thenvertically in said apertures to unlock the door to which it isindividual from the adjacent door so that said door may be pivoted aboutits hinge to an open position and being then movable longitudinally torender the door removable.

3. In combination with a door support member having two substantiallyI-shaped slots therein, a door arranged to lock with a member adjacentsaid door, and hinging means pivotally mounting said door comprisinghinge pins and means for aflixing said hinge pins to said door, the endsof said hinge pins slidably engaging the substantially r-shaped slots sothat the door may be disengaged from the member adjacent the door andopened by moving the hinged edge of the door so that said hinge pinsslide to the lower extremes of the associated I'-shaped slots andthereafter pivoting said door about said hinge pins to an open position.

4. In combination with a door support member having a plurality ofsubstantially r-shaped slots therein, a plurality of interlocking doors,and hinging means individual to each of said doors for pivotallymounting each of said doors comprising hinge pins and means forattaching said hinge pins to the associated door, the ends of said hingepins engaging two of the substantially r-shaped slots so that each doormay be dis engaged from its adjacent door and opened by moving thehinged edge of the door so that said hinge pins slide to the lowerextremes of the associated r-shaped slots and thereafter pivoting saiddoor about said hinge pins to an open position 5. In combination with adoor support member having two substantially F-shaped slots with anenlarged opening at the extreme of the lower cross bar of each of theF-shaped slots, a door interlockable with a member adjacent said door,and hinging means for pivotally mounting said door comprising hinge pinsand means for attaching said hinge pins to said door, the ends of saidhinge pins slidably engaging two of the substantially F-shaped slots sothat the door may be disengaged from the member adjacent the door andopened by moving the hinged edge of the door so that said hinge pinsslide to the lower extremes of the associated F-shaped slots andthereafter pivoting said door about said hinge pins to an open positionand so that the door may be removed by moving the door so that saidhinge pins slide to the enlarged portions on the lower cross bars of thesubstantially F-shaped slots.

6. In combination with a door support member having a plurality ofsubstantially F-shaped slots with an enlarged opening at the end of thelower cross bar of each of said slots, a plurality of interlockingdoors, and hinging means individual to each of the doors for pivotallymounting each of said doors comprising hinge pins and means'forattaching said hinge pins to the associated door, the ends of said hingepins engaging two of the substantially F-shaped slots so that each doormay be disengaged from its adjacent door and opened by moving the hingededge of the door so that said hinge pins slide to the lower extremes ofthe associated F-shaped slots and thereafter pivoting said door aboutsaid hinge pins to an open position, and so that the door may be removedby moving the hinged edge of the door so that said hinge pins slide tothe enlarged portions at the ends of the lower cross bars of theassociated substantially F-shaped apertures.

7. In combination with asupport member having a plurality ofsubstantially F-shaped perforations therein, a plurality of covers forenclosing the front of said member, each of said covers comprising apanel and individual hinging means for pivotally mounting the panel,said hinging means comprising hinge plates secured to the lower edge ofsaid panel and a hinge pin extending outwardly from each of said plates,one of said pins having a flanged head, said hinge pins engaging in saidsubstantially F-shaped perforations whereby said panel may be pivotedabout the axis of the hinge pins, the upper and lower edges of saidpanels being so rabbeted that when the upper edge is positioned behindthe lower edge of the panel above it and the lower edge of the panel ispushed back until its hinge pins engage in notches of the horizontallyextended portions of the F-shaped perforations, the covers all becomealigned, each of the F-shaped perforations in said uprights beingarranged with an enlarged portion at the extreme of the lower cross barthereof to permit the flanged head of said one hinge pin to be drawntherethrough to permit removal of said panel.

EUSTACE T. BALL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 992,760 Dudley May 23, 19111,630,160 Bayles May 24, 1927 1,641,391 Lewis Sept. 6, 1927 1,670,554Sostheim May 22, 1928 1,903,065 Paget Mar. 28, 1933 2,196,399 Rubel Apr.9, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 91,499 Sweden 1938

